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The ASUS N53JF is one of the few notebooks that utilizes a very limited palette (did you know there were this many shades of gray?) yet manages to look stylish. The fine lines of the brushed metal lid lead gracefully to the slick little curve at the hinge, which adds a bit of a wave to the deck. The palm rest is also made of metal, which gives the laptop a sturdy feel.
The multimedia DNA in the N53JF becomes apparent the minute you see the huge speaker bar dominating the deck. A strip of chrome above the keyboard houses buttons for multimedia, power, and more.
At 15.6 x 10.6 x 1.6 inches and 6.4 pounds, the N53JF is heavier than competing notebooks such as the Dell XPS 15 (6.1 pounds) and Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d (6.2 pounds), but comes off as sleek because of its design. Just dont plan on traveling with this laptop.
After playing a Hulu clip at full screen for 15 minutes we measured temperatures on the N53JFs touchpad (83 degrees), keyboard between the G&H keys (86 degrees), and the middle of the underside (88 degrees). All of these temperatures are comfortably below the category average.
The N53JF features a new "wave" keyboard with large keys, along with a numberpad on the right. The latters small size is fine for crunching numbers but might turn off gamers. While typing, the key feel was bouncy but slightly mushy, and we noticed some flex.
The 3.25 x 2.1-inch touchpad is a nice size (it could be bigger, given how much space there is on the deck), and has just the right amount of matte texture on the surface for smooth navigation. The single mouse bar beneath is not only a finger smudge magnet, but also marginally stiff.
The 3.25 x 2.1-inch touchpad is a nice size (it could be bigger, given how much space there is on the deck), and has just the right amount of matte texture on the surface for smooth navigation. The single mouse bar beneath is not only a finger smudge magnet, but also marginally stiff.
The N53JF sports a 15.6-inch, full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) glossy display that provides a gorgeous canvas for Blu-ray movies and other 1080p content. When watching a Blu-ray of Iron Man we noted bright, popping colors and smooth action sequences. We noted no pixelation or artifacts when transferring from light to dark scenes, and we appreciated the wide viewing angles. Glossy screens mean reflections, though, and ours proved somewhat distracting when watching flicks.
The real star of the multimedia experience are the huge Bang & Olfson speakers. Theyre backed by ASUS SonicMaster technology, which allows users to customize audio output both on the speakers and when listening via headphones. The result is rich audio with a wide range thats well above the average notebook.
We compared N53JF with the Dell XPS 15, which delivered the best notebook audio quality of all the notebooks we tested this year. When playing tracks with driving bass, such as "Pick U Up" by Adam Lambert or "Beautiful Dangerous" by Slash and Fergie, the XPS 15 was the clear winner. However, with tracks that soar upwards or rely heavily on acoustics, such as "Dryads Promise" by Tricky Pixie or "Legions (War)" by Zoe Keating, the N53JF fared better. Overall, the XPS 15 has the best sound system, but the N53JF is a close second.
The real star of the multimedia experience are the huge Bang & Olfson speakers. Theyre backed by ASUS SonicMaster technology, which allows users to customize audio output both on the speakers and when listening via headphones. The result is rich audio with a wide range thats well above the average notebook.
We compared N53JF with the Dell XPS 15, which delivered the best notebook audio quality of all the notebooks we tested this year. When playing tracks with driving bass, such as "Pick U Up" by Adam Lambert or "Beautiful Dangerous" by Slash and Fergie, the XPS 15 was the clear winner. However, with tracks that soar upwards or rely heavily on acoustics, such as "Dryads Promise" by Tricky Pixie or "Legions (War)" by Zoe Keating, the N53JF fared better. Overall, the XPS 15 has the best sound system, but the N53JF is a close second.
Never one to skimp on ports, ASUS packs in a few designed with the media maven in mind. The HDMI 1.4 port is ready for the next generation of HD connectivity. And the USB 3.0 port next to it ensures youll be able to take advantage of super speedy external drives and other enhanced peripherals down the line. Youll also find a USB/eSATA port, plus two more USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, VGA, a 5-in-1 memory card slot, headphone, mic, and a Blu-ray drive.
The 2-megapixel webcam above the display is just okay. The images it produced werent the sharpest, but while chatting on Skype our friend noted that the camera continually adjusted for different lighting as we moved around and didnt see much blur.
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